Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 141, where we take a look at various comic books I own (and in some cases ones that I let get away), both new and old, often with a nostalgic leaning for those feelings of yesteryear.
For each of the comic books I include in this blog (except for digital issues), I list the current secondary market value. This is according to the listings at the website www.comicbookrealm.com. They list out the near mint prices, which are on the comic book grading scale of 9.4. If you go to the website to look up any in your collection, you can click on the price and see the value at different grades. Not all of my comics are 9.4. Some are probably better, and some are worse. But to simplify it, that’s the grading price I use here. And remember, a comic book is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.
Have you considered being a guest host for Cool Comics? You can do a theme or just pick any of your comics for inclusion (this blog is for all ages, so please keep that in mind), with a maximum of seven issues. Repeat guest hosts are permitted and encouraged. Send your completed blog to edgosney62@gmail.com.
If you have any questions or comments, please scroll to the bottom of the page to where it says, “Leave a reply.” I hope you enjoy seeing these as much as I do writing about them. And now, Episode 141…
Cool Comics News!
Saturday, June 2, I attended River City Pop Culture Fest and was presented with yet another opportunity to tell comic book writer Ted Sikora just how much I love Apama The Undiscovered Animal and Tap Dance Killer. Then I made sure to purchase the movie that gave Apama his start, Hero Tomorrow, on Blu-ray, and Ted graciously signed it for me, along with posing for this picture my wife took. See that cool Apama shirt Ted is wearing? I need to get one, don’t you think?
Remember in Episode 137 when I mentioned getting a great deal on some old issues of Alter Ego magazine? While I love reading about those old comics from my father’s era, I also enjoy reading about the comics from my past, so I decided to start getting Back Issue, and I just finished reading #104 (May 2018) this week, a fun tribute to Jack Kirby’s Fourth World, only the magazine focused on the comics that came after Jack’s originals (and Fourth World characters and settings in DC animation!). While I haven’t read many of the comics discussed in this issue, I enjoyed it immensely and look forward to the June issue.
Cool Comics Battle of the Week!
Your Cool Comics Battle of the Week is Spider-Man versus Superman! What do you think would happen if they faced each other in a titanic tussle, and how do you see the winner achieving victory? Let us know in the comments section below.
Cool Comics in My Collection
#665 — The Amazing Spider-Man #800, Marvel Comics, July 2018.
Issue number 800 of The Amazing Spider-Man brings the four-part storyline, “Go Down Swinging” to its bittersweet conclusion. Why bittersweet? I’ll avoid spoilers here, but with the Red Goblin on the loose, death and destruction are certainly found within the 80 pages that wrap up this massive issue. I’ve been reading The Amazing Spider-Man off and on since I bought issue #125 in 1973 for just 20¢ from a little shop named Slicks in my small hometown of Martins Ferry, Ohio, and at that time I couldn’t begin to imagine that one day there would be an issue with $9.99 on the cover. Was it worth it? If you love Peter Parker and his universe of friends and villains, I think you’ll be more than happy to add this one to your collection. Although I’m still not happy about…oh yeah, no spoilers…so read it for yourself. The cover price of The Amazing Spider-Man #800 is $9.99, while the current value is $10.
#666 — The Man of Steel #1, DC Comics, July 2018.
What? Another “launch” of Superman? Rebirth did a nice job, in my opinion, of establishing the current mythos of the Man of Steel, and while this mini-series isn’t actually a starting over point, new DC writer Brian Michael Bendis is making some changes to what really happened to Krypton, along with introducing a fierce new adversary for Superman to deal with. When John Bryne wrote the six-issue The Man of Steel mini-series following Crisis on Infinite Earths, it was understandable from a character perspective to give the grandfather of superheroes special treatment. With this new series, though, it comes off more as a celebration of having Bendis on board at DC. I’ve run across a number of people (both on and offline) who don’t care much for his brand of storytelling, but I give this first issue my official stamp of coolness. At least so far. I’m looking forward to the rest of this weekly series, and then Bendis will get to start the Superman title over again with a number one issue, but Action Comics will be keeping its numbering, with #1001. The cover price of The Man of Steel #1 is $3.99, while the current value is $4.
#667 — Stellar #1 Ashcan, Image Comics, April 2018.
If you enjoy tales of intergalactic wars chock-full of heroes, villains, and mystery (so fans of Star Wars, Star Trek, Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica, Firefly, and The Expanse, take note…I could add more, but you get the gist), then you may want to consider picking up Stellar from Image Comics when it comes out June 13. The owner of my local comic shop slipped this ashcan into my stack of comics a few weeks ago, and it definitely caught my interest. Stellar was created by Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead) and Marc Silvestri (one of the original founders of Image Comics), and written by Joseph Keatinge, with art by Bret Blevins. I will give you a warning that on the back of the ashcan, it is rated M for Mature, but there was nothing in this ashcan issue that would prevent me from letting younger readers take a look. My guess is that the overall series is aimed towards a mature audience, so proceed with caution if that isn’t your thing. I love the art, and the story certainly peaked my interest. The cover price of Stellar #1 Ashcan is free (limited to one per store), while the current value is $5.
Cool Comics Done Dirt Cheap
#668 — True_Believers #4, Marvel Comics, December 2008.
In the words of Stan Lee, “Face front, true believers!” I had no idea Marvel started producing comic books based on Stan Lee quotes…and to be honest, this isn’t about Stan’s famous words. Last week I took this Marvel title out of my legendary longbox, having no idea what heroes and villains it would feature, let alone what kind of plot I’d be reading. The difficult part is that this is issue #4 of 5, and it’s the only one I have from this mini-series. You know what? It wasn’t half bad, from what I could understand of it. The characters were new to me, and as far as I know, created just for this series (I suppose I could look them up on the Internet, but since I probably will never read another issue of True_Believers, it’s not that important). That’s the problem you face when you purchase a longbox stuffed with comics sight unseen. The cover price of True_Believers #4 is $2.99, while the current value is $3.
FCBD the Cool Comics Way (Week 5)
#669 — Shadowman, Valiant Entertainment, May 2018.
Though this Free Comic Book Day issue from Valiant Entertainment is called Shadowman, we also get a preview of X-O Manowar #14 and Harbinger Wars 2: Prelude #1. The first segment covers a preview from Shadowman #1, which came out in March, and I certainly found it to be an intriguing read. I like what I’ve read of Valiant over the past few months, and if you are looking to read something different from the usual fare the Big2 provide, you may want to give Valiant a try. My personal favorites happen to be the Harbinger titles, but if you like comedy, be sure to check out Quantum & Woody. I often hear negativity when it comes to Free Comic Book Day, such as complaints that it really isn’t helping sales, but regardless, I love the concept, and the opportunity to read something different is always appealing. The cover price of Shadowman is free, while the current value is $0.
Cool Comics Classics
#670 — Men of War #1, DC Comics, August 1977.
The first war comic I ever owned came from a three-pack of Charlton Comics that my mother bought me back in the mid-Seventies. It was an issue of Fightin’ Marines, and I let it slip through my fingers at a garage sale. Today, as a veteran of the U.S. Army, I have a deeper appreciation for comics with a military setting, and I try to pick up old ones periodically. I purchased this number one issue (as a side note, this is a series I wouldn’t have given a second look at back in 1977…I had no interest in war/military comics) for just a quarter about a month ago at Kenmore Komics in Akron, Ohio, and if you live in the area, you should check out the huge selections of back issues and discount boxes they have. Men of War contains the first part of two different storylines, and I liked them both. The cover price of Men of War #1 is 35¢, while the current value is $30.
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